The 80’s was the decade where video killed the radio star in many ways, but it was also the decade that launched so many careers and created so household names. MTV and music television opened our ears and eyes; radio was forced to follow suit. It treated and spoiled us with so many great songs and artists. It allowed exposure to artists that may have been overlooked or shelved as one hit wonders and built careers. Time is an amazing thing to reflect on, to think of those songs with the massive hooks and choruses that flooded us during that decade and how those songs have stayed with us. Movie soundtracks were full of fresh new songs by artists that would go on to be household names, it truly was an amazing time to grow up in where everything pop culture collided into sensory overload. Teenage me was nothing short of a musical sponge and regardless of genre if it hit with me, it stayed with me.
Fast forward to today and radio has become a playground of nostalgia, when certain songs or artists are played, we are transported back to a time and a place. We reel off the words, singing along to songs we possibly haven’t heard in years or even decades, but somehow these songs stayed with us engrained in our psyche. For me Billy Ocean is one of those artists and tonight show proved exactly that point. I couldn’t tell you the last time I intentionally pulled out a Billy Ocean record to play front to back, but I can tell you of the joy that songs like ‘Caribbean Queen (No more love on the run)’ and ‘Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car’ bring me when I hear them. That musical muscle memory is reactivated as if I was back in the year of release, it’s party time again and all cares are thrown out of the window.
Tonight was one of those shows where you simply left the outside world, your worries, cares and concerns at The Palais’ door as they scanned your ticket. Billy Ocean at seventy-five years of age was simply captivating. Tonight was also the final show of his One World Tour. This tour started in May of this year and has taken him across the UK, Europe and finished up here in Australia. I haven’t seen Billy Ocean live before and to say I was completely blown away is nothing but the truth.
Opening with ‘One World’ from 2020’s album of the same name it became obvious this would be a journey throughout his entire career. I must add it’s a great song too, as a writer he has certainly lost nothing. The audience tonight consisted of those that would have been teens at the hight of his 80’s journey. Loud and passionate is the only way to describe his fans, they were singing every word of very song right from the get-go. It was the instantly identifiable familiarity of the Motown inspired monster that is ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ that brought the house to its feet and every voice joining in. I hate to say it, but I had forgotten about this part of Ocean’s catalogue, the song I remember well. He took us right back to the beginning here. At forty-nine years young this song felt so fresh and when you talk about songs that take you back, I was taken back to when I first heard it. It’s aged like a fine wine and in all honesty the delivery was perfect and certainly set the anticipation for the rest of the show at a peak level for me.
While Ocean isn’t perhaps as noble on stage as he once was, he has a charm about him, the modified dance steps and grooving to the music was great to see and that radiating smile said it all. The authenticity and love of being on stage and getting this incredible reaction clearly means so much to him. His connection with fans in the front rows was delightful to see and again his authentic self-shone bright.
Following with ’Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)’, ‘Stay The Night’ and ‘Red Light Spells Danger’ we continue the story of Oceans musical journey prior to becoming a household name. It’s evident that as a songwriter his craft has been homed in on from a young age and blossomed when he was in his mid-twenties.
The band were incredible and so on point musically, as a unit the replicated what you heard on the recorded versions flawlessly yet at the same time gave these songs a modern and fresh groove. The extended version of “Red Light Spells Danger’ was spellbinding and really did show off the band’s flex without being obvious and overpowering to the song, it flowed with each member being given enough freedom to shine.
1985’s monster hit ‘Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car’ brought on yet another loud, prod and goosebump inducing moment. How can you not sing along to this song. To say the party was in full flight was an understatement.
Throughout the night there were screams from the audience calling to Ocean saying I love you to which Ocean would humbly reply I love you more, always delivered with sincerity and a smile. ‘The Colour Of Love’ settled the party a little as again you found yourself getting lost in the song, the delivery and the performance. A cover of Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman, No Cry’ was delivered with a soulful vocal that blended soul with reggae as only Ocean can do, I’m not usually one for covers in a set, but this was so damn good.
“Would you believe “Suddenly’ had had its fortieth anniversary, forty years …. Forty years ago, I was sexy. Forty years later I’m still sexy” says Ocean with that unmistakable charm. “I was dying to go to America to work with musicians over there” Ocean continues. “I received a call from the president of Jive Records after he heard ‘Suddenly’ and brought me to America and while I was there, I wrote ‘Caribbean Queen’. This is the song that changed it all for me”. ‘Suddenly’ is for me a bit of a chameleon of a song. There is no doubt about its beauty and message, but the chameleon part of it is that today it means and represents something completely different to what it did in 1984. Today it’s every bit as good; lyrically it has a whole new meaning and connection. I guess that is the power of music, its message and connection with the soul. Hearing it live was something else and to be honest I fell in love with the song even more.
I’m ashamed to say it but the next song ‘Loverboy’ was one that had slipped my conscious mind as being a part of Ocean’s catalogue, crazy huh, but from the first note it was back and every word spilled from my lips effortlessly, the film clip played in my mind as if it was being debuted for the first time. What a song, pop perfection at its finest.
‘When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going’ is just such a fun song and Ocean uses that fun to his advantage inciting a singing contest splitting the audience, this stuff can be cliched I have to say, but it’s that electric energy in The Palais that makes this work so well. Ocean put his palm out in front of us and he had the entire theatre sitting in it, the audience lapped it up. When the vibe is so good you just have to join in. It’s so much fun. Ocean introduces the band by first names only and makes not that one of his daughters is one of the three backing singers that just filled the set with soulful harmonies. The band player by player all need to take a bow as they were pure magic. Daylight’ from 2020’s “One World” sees The Palais dancing in the aisles and seats, it’s incredible to watch and be a part of.
The closing song for tonight is the one and only ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)’ and as expected if you weren’t standing and singing by now you were now. The groove and melody of this song are immaculate; the fun is irresistible.
After seeing tonight’s performance, I had to ask myself why haven’t I seen Billy Ocean live before? That is something I can’t answer and now kick myself for missing out on previous tours. If all of Ocean’s shows are like this then sign me up tour after tour. You just can’t deny what an amazing journey his performance is. I’m still smiling and counting down the days until he visits our shores again.
With special thanks to Leanne Menard from Menard PR for the media access.
Photos: Shot By Slaidins Photography.
Setlist : One World, Love Really Hurts Without You, Nights (Feel Like Getting Down), Stay The Night, Red Light Spells Danger, Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car, The Colour Of Love, No Woman, No Cry, Mystery, Suddenly, Loverboy, When The Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going, Daylight, Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)
